Psalms 119:161 - Meaning and Application

David here shows two things: how the fear of people discouraged him in his duty, and how the fear of God kept him steady. Princes persecuted him. They treated him like a traitor and an enemy of the government, and on that basis they tried to kill him. They even told him to go and serve other gods (1 Samuel 26:19). It has often been the lot of the best people to be persecuted, and it is worse when rulers do it, because they hold the sword and can do more harm. They also have the law on their side, so they can make injustice look respectable and fair.

It is sad when the authority God gives to rulers, authority they should use for him, is turned against him. Still, we should not be surprised by it (Ecclesiastes 5:8). David had this comfort, even when princes were against him: he could honestly say they had no cause for their hostility. He had done them no wrong.

Yet David was not led away from his duty. Others wanted to make him fear them and obey their word, but his heart stood in awe of God’s word. He was resolved to please God and stay faithful to him, no matter who was unhappy with him. Every godly person stands in awe of Scripture, both its commands and its warnings, and that makes human threats seem small.

We should obey God rather than people, and we should seek God’s favor even if that brings the disfavor of the whole world (Luke 12:4-5). A heart that reveres God’s word is protected against the pressure that persecution brings.